Astak Mentor eBook readers with WiFi and Touchscreen (read-only)

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Robertb

6” EZ Reader with all above formats, PLUS Fictionwise eReader DRM and Adobe Digital Editions DRM will release around May, 2009
6” EZ Reader Plus with WiFi/touchscreen with all above features scheduled to release June/July, 2009
6” EZ Reader PRO with 3G connection scheduled to release July, 2009
5” EZ Reader Mini pocket book scheduled to release July/Aug, 2009
9.7 EZ Reader ELITE with Flexi Screen scheduled to release in August, 2009

Are these the set in stone definate dates. Or are these the add 6-8 months dates?

BOb

(just messin' with ya. Can't wait to see some "TRUE" devices on video and better yet on sale.)

[Justy]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear All:
ASTAK devices:

6” EZ Reader already launched which is a strong "basic " model using simple USB connects to PC to download eBooks. It is an open format device which supports TXT,RTF,PDF,DOC,HTML,PDB,LIT,PRC,EPUB,CHM,WOL,MP3,JPG,and BMP. This is the only device that supports most popular formats on the market.
6” EZ Reader with all above formats, PLUS Fictionwise eReader DRM and Adobe Digital Editions DRM will release around May, 2009

This is only the EZ Reader line. The Mentor line is being rolled out in March.

Does this mean we will be able to read at least non-DRM Mobipocket books *and* DRM eReader books on the EZ Reader starting in May?

[ahammer]

Originally Posted by Robertb

I like the name, Hammer: EZ Reader TRUE. That is a great suggestion!! I like that. Alright, I think you have a winner. I will start calling the 9.7 inch the EZ Reader TRUE. Thank you!!

Robert B

best 1st post in a forum ever on my part:Þ.
guess my year of lurking paid off..now I'm going to have to get one.

think it will be good to read\bring my rpg books with me and also good to get some more reading in. you said like 3 pages back that all the rz reader will end up with the new Epson Controller or is that just the PRO.

getting mix up because this seems to say otherwise.

Originally Posted by Robertb

I would have to say the new Epson Controller in the EZ Reader PRO is twice as fast.

or maybe that the only one that has it for now and im just reading to much into this. could you just clarify this for me

B.A.Hammer

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Doesn't anyone like my Electric Blue?

I'm afraid it's a little too turquoise looking to me. Blue sounded good, but I guess I expected a ... bluer ... blue.

Love the red one, Robert, but ... to be honest? If I was going to put down money for another Reader, it's going to be one that has eReader on it (or it'll give me access to the Amazon eBook no one else carries!)

Plus, you've said the ones coming out in only a few months will have the faster processor ... it just seems prudent to wait until those are released.

Even if it means I can't have it in red.

[echoleaf]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Doesn't anyone like my Electric Blue?

I think it's a really jarring color - I'm completely disinclined to read something with that color visible. otoh, it would be easy to find in a messy room ;-)

[DG25]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Can't wait to see some "TRUE" devices on video.

Yeah, me too. Or some pics maybe. Something.

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear All:

For anyone who missed it the first time, we still have a few EZ Readers in color. White and Marroon have been popular. Doesn't anyone like my Electric Blue? You can call Walter at 408-452-8788 and tell him Robert B said to wake him up (HA). The price is still just $299. These are brand new and in the box. We just got five each for CES so we had plenty of spares and NONE had to be replaced after the continuous pounding all four days. People who had no prior knowledge were pushing and prodding away... and never so much as a hiccup from any of those on display. The display devices are NOT part of this sale. We sell only brand new and no other way. SO... while I have them I am selling in colors. $299 is with the AC Charger, Crush-resistent leather case, ear buds, USB cable, wrist leash, user manual, and 8 CLASSIC and GOOD (hand-picked by me) eBooks preloaded!

Robert B

I can testify to this! I got in on this and got a maroon one - red was my second choice and white the third. Mine is performing like a champ, and so far I have LESS THAN NO complaints with it. It's a sturdy little device, reads everything I've thrown at it, and I just love it. Anyone who wants a reader that's versatile with the non-DRM formats needs to grab one of these!
You might want to wait til about 11 am California time to try getting hold of Walter though.. evidently either traffic in San Jose is really bad on Mondays, or he overslept... I also dealt with a very nice lady named Ruby at Team Research Inc. and she was most helpful. Robert, if you know who I'm talking about - pass on my thanks, please!
As for the colors, the maroon is of course the only one I've seen up close and personal, but I love it. I bet the metallics are pretty too, though - the electric blue is definitely "electric" in the snapshots - and I'm sorry, Robert, it would have been my last choice. Try for a deeper blue, but still with the metallic, maybe?
I'm sorry, I have not tried the sound yet, as I'm not a big fan of audiobooks. Just for you though, I'll load some mp3's on my SD card and give it a listen...

[phenomshel]

Robert, again, you are correct. The sound quality on this is AMAZING!! Much, much better than I expected. You had me from the splash screen for music, though.. I play flute (there is a drawing of a flute on the side of the splash screen you get when music is playing).

How did you get that kind of sound quality in this little thing? My mp3 player doesn't sound this good!

[alanastoz]

Will give you $100 for the lot today via paypal if you like.
cheers, Gaby

[alanastoz]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

That is exactly what Amazon wants you to do. They are clearly trying to kill competition in America. You do know that standard Hanlin firmware will continue to work on the device, don't you? There is no reason you have to upgrade to new Astak firmware.

Dale

Dsperate for one for my son. Will give you $100.00 today via paypal if you want.
Gaby

[alanastoz]

Originally Posted by NeweReader

I figure the first shipment of EZ Readers will be black. Do you know when the colored EZ Readers will be available? I think I would like the blue one.

You don't always get to all the questions, but I hope you can answer this one.

Thank you.

Contact NOW and you should be able to get a blue one, but be quick they only have five in stock
gaby

[mobelby]

[QUOTE=pilotbob;345111]Are these the set in stone definate dates. Or are these the add 6-8 months dates?

RobertB,

Think I'm getting confused in all the excitement of waiting for the wifi/touchscreen version of the jinke hanlin v3 to be released.

Has the date slipped back from Feb/Mar to Jun/Jul now ? Can I ask why and what likelihood it will slip again ?

[AJ Starr]

The Kindle2 announcment was just made and they are touting the Text-to-Speech read aloud. Though I am an audio book listener, I do listen to computer text-to-speech on books that are not out in audio.

I would love to see this feature on the EZ Reader and or Mentor.

Please.....

[radleyp]

AJ: have you ever listened to a book converted in this manner? It's really quite horrible: no intonation, no modulation, no meaningful silences, and more... I first heard one of the Gutenberg Project texts, and I could not take it for even five minutes. This is good for short expository prose, otherwise you need a real human to read.

[AJ Starr]

Originally Posted by radleyp

AJ: have you ever listened to a book converted in this manner? It's really quite horrible: no intonation, no modulation, no meaningful silences, and more... I first heard one of the Gutenberg Project texts, and I could not take it for even five minutes. This is good for short expository prose, otherwise you need a real human to read.

The answer is Yes. I have a program that converts TTS into a MP3. It has more sophisticated voices than the standard voices that gutenberg and Microsoft uses. I soooo need to listen to my books versus read them that I get ebooks (either buy or scan my own) so I can convert them. I like to reread my old favorites, and the older books that are not out in audio (duhhh), so I must listen to the electronic voice. The alternative is to record the books myself. I tried that, and lasted about half a page. A performer I am not.

But, as I said, my program uses the newer voices and they are tolerable.